PHOENIX (AZFamily) -- Christmas has come early for drivers this year!

Nationwide, gas price tracker GasBuddy reports prices are at the lowest holiday levels since the pandemic in 2020.

In Phoenix alone, prices fell 7 cents this week, making the average gas price $3.15 per gallon. This is slightly higher than the national average of $3.10 per gallon.

GasBuddy Head of Petroleum Analysis Patrick De Haan said seasonality and low driving demands contribute to these lower prices.

"We take many days off work while we drive to a destination; we generally stay there for a couple days, and that's why gas prices don't go up for the holidays," he said.

If you plan on hitting the road with your family this weekend, De Haan said it's easy to shop around the Valley right now and find different prices near you. However, depending on your holiday destination, he said you can either save or spend more money.

"If you're headed to New Mexico, prices are a lot lower as you head east," he said. "Especially going into Texas, you're going to find gas prices 30, 40, even 50 cents a gallon lower the further you head east.

"You're going to hit a wall when you get into California prices over a dollar a gallon higher in California. If you're headed into Utah or Colorado, prices are generally pretty consistent to what they are in Arizona."

GasBuddy projects gas prices to trend slightly upward after the New Year, so De Haan recommends enjoying the prices and filling up sooner rather than later.

AAA predicts more than 119 million people will travel at least 50 miles from home between Saturday and New Year's Day, which would top the previous holiday-season high set in 2019. The two weekends on either side of Christmas look to be some of the most crowded times on the road.